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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24267295">The MOUMA Project</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/astroorbiter/pseuds/astroorbiter'>astroorbiter</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars, Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Awkward Ben Solo, Bad first impression, Declarations Of Love, F/M, Falling In Love, First Meetings, Fluff, Happy Ending, Idiots in Love, Leia Organa Ships It, Like One Minute Of Angst, Maybe - Freeform, Misunderstandings, Museum AU, Mutual Pining, Reylo - Freeform, Romance</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 23:29:31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,582</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24267295</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/astroorbiter/pseuds/astroorbiter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: Rey visits a museum often to sketch or something and Ben works there and always sees her. Tries to flirt. Probably trips and falls.</p><p>A Modern Museum au in which Rey is a bright young artist looking for a fresh start in the city of her dreams. Ben Solo is a mess of a man who is figuring things out as he goes. And it just so happens he works at Rey's favorite museum in the whole wide world. Let the rom com begin!</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Armitage Hux/Rose Tico, Kylo Ren/Rey, Poe Dameron/Finn, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The MOUMA Project</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“And that’s the last of them!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The brunette set down the last of her moving boxes with a soft sigh. She stood back to her full height and marveled at her small apartment, looking towards the large window in her living room as the sun just finished peaking over the neighboring buildings. Rey Johnson. She had recently graduated from a small but dignified art school in her old city, Jakku, and had finally received a stable job offer here in Chandrila to move. She didn’t have much to bring with her from Jakku, so it was a quick and easy move to the new city filled with her hopes and dreams. Using her years of scavenging to scrape by art school on a broke college student budget, Rey had already scouted out lightly used furniture and in-pretty-good-shape appliances from every craigslist ad and offer up post she could find at a good deal. She had just finished cutting up the cardboard boxes and tied them together to take downstairs to the large recycling bin downstairs. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rey looked over to her new bookshelf next to her living room window, focusing on her newly framed graduation photo with Finn, Poe, and their parents taken a few months ago. A smile crept up her face as she remembered their welcome party here a few days ago. They had brought over so many homemade dishes her refrigerator was still stocked with food, helped her paint a few of her furniture finds fresh colors to hide the worn out colors and sun cracked paint. She remembered the whole family barely fitting on her new (old) couch together, parents sort-of managing to keep up with Rey, Finn, and Poe’s excellent gaming skills as they all played on Rey’s switch until Rose and Hux showed up with dessert. And then it was like their lively dinner part two, more stories and funny jokes and heart-felt wishes for Rey’s success in Chandrila. Rey checked her watch, smile fading now, and walked over to her front door to grab her messenger bag. She tucked her city guidebook back into her bag, her Very Useful book that Poe kept making fun of her for having when Google is a thing, and looked back at her apartment once more with a quick appreciative grin before heading out of her apartment and locking her door behind her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Today was going to be a great day. She could feel it. New city, new opportunities, and her first exploration trip would be to the place she was most excited to visit. The Chandrila Metropolitan Museum of Art.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s just perfect. Amazing! Thank you SO MUCH for letting me know so far in advance! No, no, I’ll be there. I’m on my way right now. I had some car trouble in the morning but I’m making good time. I’ll be there soon to let you and your crew in. Thank you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ben Solo hung up his phone call using the steering wheel button and immediately tightened every finger in his grip. The new exhibit workers were already at the museum loading dock waiting with the first shipment of exhibit cases and were waiting on him to let them in. Mitaka had just called out of his shift last night, telling Kaydel he suddenly felt so awful from head-to-toe that he was going to a clinic first thing in the morning to see a doctor. That was fine. Ben could have managed without him, his health was important. But when he tried to phone Holdo this morning and found her voicemail message informing him of her vacation, he cursed under his breath that his mother had not planned her own vacation time more carefully for the museum. Leia would not be back for a few more days, Holdo just left the day before. At who-would-have-guessed, yet another red light Ben exhaled the breathe he didn’t even realize he had been holding in. Taking over for Leia and Holdo was fine. He had done it a few times since he started his job at the museum. But he had a full staff to help him take care of incoming shipments, exhibit concerns, and his normal job tasks. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He thought it was the last straw for him an hour ago when Jannah had called him to let him know she and Kaydel had a car emergency and didn’t think they would be able to get to the museum until 3pm today. That had been fine. He wished them the best of luck and hoped they could get to work as soon as possible over the phone. And then he remembered today was supposed to be the new hire’s orientation or welcome interview or- Something that people-person Kaydel was supposed to be in charge of. Not him, unsociable outside of work and eternal brooding mess Ben Solo. While his social skills might not have been as impressive as Kaydel’s, he didn’t even know the first thing about the new hire’s job or- Wait a minute. He felt like there was something he was supposed to remember about the new hire, but he couldn't quite put his finger on-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A ping went off on his car’s text-to-speech screen and he pressed the wheel once more to listen to the message. Hopefully something to get his mind off of his increasing workload today. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hi Ben. It is Kaydel smiling emoji. Today is the day Rose Tico is coming in for her frog hemoglobin. I left her new file on the center of my desk it is ready to go to explain Rose’s job duties to the both of hue. I am sorry I can’t be there but she is scheduled to meet me at the main office at 1pm. I will email you a more detailed crash course on what to do until Jannah and I get there. Thank you Ben. You will do fine heart emoji. On second thought. Please don’t scare off our new hire on her first day winking emoji with a kiss and a heart.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And another red light. Today’s drive was going by at a glacial pace. Ben took a few calming breaths, he knew that the second he got to the museum everything was going to hit him at once as he would struggle to wrangle every duty he would be taking on today. He could do it. It would be fine. At least Hux-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His car began to play the imperial march ringtone he saved for his best friend. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Oh no. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Please no. He hesitated before answering the call from the wheel.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Morning, Hux. What’s-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ben. You won’t believe the luck I’m,” Hux rasped before a fit of coughs overtook his sentence. “Having this morning. Rose forgot to close the bedroom window last night because she was so nervous for today. She burrito’d herself in all of our blankets overnight so when I woke up this morning, my entire body was colder than all of Hoth and-” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Hux began a fit of coughs once more, Ben could practically see his friend shaking from the force each cough discharged. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey, it’s fine. Don’t push yourself too hard, Huggs. I’m assuming Rose already went to the pharmacy to grab you the best cold medicine she can find.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, she feels super-” Hux tried to finish but was interrupted by a loud sneeze.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ben’s brows knit together in worry. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hux, hang up the phone and go get some rest. I need you back to peak performance ASAP, and you can only do that once you get better.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ben, I read the group chat right now. Kaydel isn’t-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s fine, Hux. I can do this. It’ll be tricky for me to manage everything, but I can do it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Somehow Ben’s grip on the steering wheel managed to loosen just a bit. He sure hoped he could get through today in one piece.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright. Thank you, Ben. Talk to you soon.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He hung up the phone call as he neared the museum parking lot, spotting the exhibit workers standing outside their truck next to the loading dock with not-so-happy faces as they looked over to him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Ben began biting his bottom lip as he pulled into his designated parking space. Today was going to be a long day.</span>
</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Chandrila’s MET. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Everytime she was in the city to volunteer at the local YMCA she had tried, and failed, so many times to get free time to explore the museum at least once. Now that she officially lived here in the city, nothing was going to stop her from visiting the museum every week. Multiple times a week, if she could! Rey raised up her iPhone 5s and took a few photos of the outside. She was here, ready to breathe in the art and fill her brain with as much information as possible about the wonders inside those walls. All her waiting had finally paid off. Rey walked into the building with immense purpose, shoulders squared and her chest puffed out as she stepped in and found a bench to wait for her best friend to arrive.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>40 minutes later Rey’s phone buzzed with a notification. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Rose</b>
</p><p>
  <span>Hey boo!!! I’m so sorry I couldn’t message you sooner!! Long story short, I’ll tell you later, Hux caught a HORRIBLE cold and it’s ALL MY FAULT,, I had to run around this morning grabbing medicine, can you believe everywhere I went what he needed was sold out?! What is this LUCK today?! </span>
</p><p>
  <span>I won’t be able to get to the museum early to explore a bit with you before my job orientation. :( I’m so sorry!! If you spend the day there we can take the subway together on our way home after work? </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Rey</b>
</p><p>
  <span>No problem!! Don’t even sweat! ^^ Funny enough, while I’ve been waiting there’s this totally STUNNING dude that keeps running back and forth to the main desk. Like a rudely LARGE man. A brooding mountain. Dare I say, the rare fuckable redwood? He’s been staring at this envelope like a pensive bison. His hair- oh my god. Rose. What is happening to me.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Rose</b>
</p><p>
  <span>WAIT WAIT WAIT WAITWAIT- WHY AM I NOT THERE FOR THIS THE ONE TIME- WAIT I’M GOING TO THE MET LATER- H O L Y </span>
</p>
<h3 class="LC20lb DKV0Md">👀👀👀👀</h3><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rey looks up from her slightly-cracked phone screen. Said redwood just so happened to be walking back from what she assumed were the museum offices. He was carding his fingers again through his hair, fluffing it and mussing it even more than it was a few minutes ago. What she wouldn’t do to sift her own fingers through-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ladies, gents, nonbinary friends! I thank you for your patience, we aren’t holding as many tours today due to unforeseen circumstances here at the museum. I am your docent today, and you all may address me as Phasma. Now, first on our-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rey quickly looked away from the tall, dark, handsome man in front of her and back to her museum pamphlet. A tour group had gathered at the main entrance and the museum was crowded with people once more. She felt her cheeks glow pink as she thought about the messages she had just sent to Rose. Rey had been trying to work up the nerve to go up to the front desk and ask some questions just to get a minute of the brooding man’s time. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hello! Do you have any guidebook or audio tours available today? Hi! You look like you enjoy working here, do you have a recommended route to go through the museum? By chance, do you happen to give any tours through the museum?</span>
  </em>
  
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rey glanced over the top of the pamphlet to steal a look at the man once more. She had absolutely not but totally did go to the restroom 20 minutes ago to touch up on her makeup, fixing her mascara just a bit and adding a little more eyeliner before heading back. He had just picked the envelope from earlier up once again, his thick eyebrows slowly knitting together and his eyes started giving off an uneasy feeling-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A visitor suddenly asked for his attention and he dropped the envelope like a hot coal. She could see his expression transform from his upset look a minute ago to a more gentle and warm almost-smile. Rey’s eyes zeroed in on his plush lips as he seemed to explain something to the stranger at length before nodding a goodbye as they left the desk. She felt her pamphlet start to slip from her hands as he began typing at a desk computer, wondering if his lips were as soft as they-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rey shook her head. Enough was enough. She tucked her pamphlet into her bag and stood up to walk over to the desk. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Just a simple question. Maybe crack a joke to see if he’ll laugh.</span>
  </em>
  <span> She strolled over as he answered one of the phones on the desk and soon began rubbing his temple with his freehand. As she waited for him to get off the phone she began playing with her fingernails, she could hear his tone grow agitated as his replies over the phone grew shorter. Maybe this wasn’t the bed idea-</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She heard him hang up the phone, and before she could process his exasperated sigh her mouth couldn’t contain her sudden rush of energy. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hello! I, uh, have a few questions about the Chandrila museum! Today is my first time visiting here, but you look really busy and-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes.” His deep voice shocked her as it cut her sentence off. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes, I am extremely busy. I’m very sorry, but I don’t have the time right now to answer your questions. Another museum employee will be with you shortly. Have a good day.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Rey stared at him with her mouth slightly open, the words of her sentence frozen on her tongue. She could only continue to stare at him as he grabbed the same damn envelope from the desk and left as a huge, dark blurr before her eyes.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He hadn’t even bothered to look at her when she spoke to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Rey felt her cheeks burn again, this time red in embarrassment. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>What a jerk! Waste of my time! He wasn’t even </span>
  </em>
  <span>that.. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Hot.. anyways..</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked down at her watch, desperately calculating the hours until Rose would get here and calculating again the hours she would have to wait until her friend got off of work. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>What a bloody great day she was having.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>-</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>What a </span>
  <em>
    <span>great</span>
  </em>
  <span> day he was having!</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ben stormed down the hallway to the museum’s private offices. It wasn’t even lunch time yet and he was sure his day could not get </span>
  <em>
    <span>any</span>
  </em>
  <span> worse than this. He nodded and barely managed to wave his hand to Tallie as he passed by the watercooler to let her know he was going on break. He didn’t even bother to see if she acknowledged him as he began pulling at his tie, desperate to let much needed oxygen into his lungs. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Why.. Why is HE of all people looking for me. And why now..</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Ben tugged at his tie until it was free from his neck and closed his office door behind him with a slam. He couldn’t help it. His hands were now shaking. He let go of the envelope addressed to a name he no longer went by. A name he was trying so hard to let die as part of his past. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>TO: KYLO REN</em>
  </b>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Happy International Museum Day! ^^ (I barely posted it on the 18th local time LOL)<br/>So I've finally decided to post my first Reylo fic, I'm so excited for where this story is headed!!!!!!!<br/>This started out as a Reylo au idea Mou messaged me, and quickly grew into a now 14+ page document of notes that I'm doing my best to weave together a story from!!!! I love Ben and Rey with my whole heart, and I'm already learning a lot just by starting this fic.<br/>Hope you enjoy, Mou!!<br/>P.s. The title is very much so under construction!</p><p>P.p.s this chapter isn't so much about Ben Solo self-sabotaging his relationship with Rey as it is about his awful, awful no good luck at all day. That might turn into a week before he finally catches a break. I love the man, but maybe he's gonna suffer a tiny bit throughout this fic? ^^</p><p>P.p.p.s I'm no Rian Johnson, but damnit I'm trying to write a love story!!!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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